Angina pectoris by Rose questionnaire does not predict cardiovascular disease in treated hypertensive patients

Abstract

Objective: To determine the predictive value of angina pectoris diagnosed by Rose questionnaire for cardiovascular disease among treated hypertensives.

Methods: The cardiovascular experience of 4093 patients who had no history of cardiovascular disease and had been administered the Rose questionnaire for angina in a worksite treatment program was evaluated.

Results: Among 2659 men and 1434 women of similar age (53 versus 54 years), the race distribution was 44 versus 31% whites, 27 versus 41% blacks and 29 versus 28% Hispanics. Overall, the prevalence of angina by Rose questionnaire in women (15%) was twice that in men (7%) in all three races, with Hispanics having the highest (20 versus 10%) prevalence. Those with angina (Rose-plus) and those without (Rose-minus) had similar initial and final blood pressures. In 4.0 years of average follow-up study, the crude incidence rates (per 1000 person-years) of the recorded 120 myocardial infarctions and 35 strokes did not differ significantly between Rose-plus and Rose-minus patients, except for myocardial infarction in Hispanic men (20.5 versus 5.9). When myocardial infarction incidence was adjusted for age within each sex-race subgroup, only Rose-plus Hispanic men had a significantly greater relative risk with Rose-minus as referent (relative risk 3.13, 95% confidence interval 1.31-7.50). Overall, in the Cox proportional hazards regression model, angina by Rose questionnaire was not predictive of myocardial infarction after accounting for other recognized risk factors.

Conclusions: The present data suggest that the Rose questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for angina is not predictive of subsequent clinical events among treated hypertensive patients.